Make Your Social Media Work for You

Originally published: 11.01.13 by
Kelly Meeneghan

How To Properly Leverage These Platforms To Work For Your
Business

Most successful HVACR
business owners understand the need for a professional social media presence.
The growing popularity of businesses participating in social media has proven
to not only be seen as a benefit by consumers, but now is a consumer expectation
of businesses. However, some owners
struggle to fully understand how to properly leverage these platforms to work
for their business. It is not enough to simply set up a Facebook Page or send
out a tweet on opening day. Neglecting your social presence can often do more
harm than good as it communicates an abandoned business channel. Recognizing
what these platforms can do for your HVACR firm will help you better engage
with your audience and reach new success. But some still wonder, how can I
leverage it for my business?

Use It

Many businesses believe that their social media strategy is
final once a Facebook Page is created. However, those that avoid regular
communication and updates can lose loyal clients and potential customers.

Looking at a blank social media editorial calendar can be
intimidating at first, but busy HVACR owners can rest assured that there are
many options for posts that can spark conversation among users. Posting
relatable current event stories,

positive customer testimonials, and company
announcements will help increase overall consumer interest. Be sure to mix up
the types of posts, both visually and in context, to retain interest and repeat
visitors.

Facebook has a “highlight” feature that allows you to
identify certain posts as important by giving them more space on the timeline,
which is especially useful for displaying visual content. Facebook also has a
“Pin to Top” option that can keep a specific post prominently placed on the top
of the Page’s timeline for up to seven days – a great option for special
announcements. When big changes or recognition occurs within the company, be
sure to use these techniques on your Facebook timeline to have the optimal
chance at high impressions.

Update It

It is important to use your social media account, but
maintaining consistently high interaction and engagement with consumers has
proven to be a more demanding challenge for some smaller businesses. The answer
is providing fresh and new content on a regular basis. These updates can come
in the form of current promotions, staff changes, or new services.

Releasing up-to-date information is important but the
messages will be lost if they are posted at the wrong time. Many companies have
conducted research to determine the best times to publish content and news on
social media:

Twitter:

DO tweet in the early afternoon on Monday through
Thursday (1-3 p.m.).

DO NOT tweet after 8 p.m. during the week, after 3
p.m. on Friday, or on the weekend as these are low traffic times.

Facebook:

DO post Wednesdays at 3 p.m. or anytime
midweek between 1-4 p.m.

DO NOT post after 4 p.m. on any day of
the week.

These findings are based on the average traffic patterns
for the respective social network. Posting to social media at the right time
will ensure that your updates receive optimal impressions and visibility to
your target audience.

TIP: To stay on top of all your shared content, develop a
social media editorial calendar as mentioned earlier. Planning out posts and
content in advance will ease frustrations and stress when regular posts need to
be created - especially when time is limited.

Remember to also stay relevant to current events. If there
is a national tragedy in effect, refrain from publicly posting about a spring
maintenance promotion, for example. Instead, express your sympathies and
concerns then continue the editorial calendar a day or so later.

Listen to It

While social media has its clear benefits, it is important
to be aware of the potential vulnerabilities it presents to businesses. Because
it is a public forum, customers may use social media to express negative
experiences or feelings about services. While you may want to delete these
posts immediately, try to fight the urge as it may convey that you are hiding
something to those that notice the deletion. Stay transparent. There is a lot
you can learn as a business owner through feedback from customers and you can
apply it to help improve business strategies.

Take a moment and listen to what customers have to say. In
most instances, the customer will have ideas about how to fix the problem,
perhaps some you may not have even considered before. Understanding and
responding to their issues or thoughts publicly helps to highlight your
commitment to customer satisfaction and overall good business practices – to
features essential for a successful HVACR business.

Evaluate It

A big advantage to using social media is the vast amount of
information gained from looking at the analytics, or insights, of your pages.
Facebook, for example, provides analytics with your business page - free of
charge. The Facebook analytic tool breaks down the number of likes, daily
visitors, story posts, and more for better evaluation of your social media
activity. Looking into these statistics can help you decide what type of
content is getting the most traffic or, perhaps just as valuable, what
promotions are not getting the attention you anticipated.

There are also opportunities to gain analytical data from
Twitter via external applications. By linking the apps to your Twitter feed,
you can gain an inside look into who your followers are, what tweets cause the
most engagement, and even the most popular times that you have sent out
information. You can then use this information to enhance your overall
marketing and communication strategy.

Social media communication is
a concept, that once mastered, can have a significant impact on your HVACR
business. Taking the time to leverage the different avenues through regular
content and engagement can lead to increased customer satisfaction and
effective business strategies. Once considered a mere fad for the younger
generations, social media has proven its staying power and positive impact on
the entire business world.

As a manager for 1&1 Internet, Inc., Kelly Meeneghan
is an industry specialist providing expert advice on how SMBs can grow their
business online through websites and online marketing methods. 1&1, a
global leader among Web hosts, provides companies with the tools necessary to
get online and be successful. To reach Kelly, email press@1and1.com.
For more information visit www.1and1.com.

Articles by Kelly Meeneghan

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